The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-06-01
The american idea.
man

man.
The american idea.
TIE American idea of freedom is
no British idea improved. Both ma
tions insist upon purely represents
tive form Of government in which all
classes have "a voice, but the British
representative may Disregard his con-
siiuoncy much oitcner than American
con tiiuoncics viii permit of their
reprc 4entatiye-. In q representative
govctnm,ntmicut.c' do not rule by
overwhelming vita numerical force
ard If the physical force alone caused
the ascendency Of a sent ment, Instead
rcpublic tho result would be au
anarchy. senator Coke has frequent
iy taken occasion to show how tyrau-
nical msiJrty rule might work when
tits m4iortv RUE distinctly, dlvcstcd
entirely OF representation. lite
d.d SD show in his claiborne
and wonderfully able speech against
.ocal option, when TIE ENAMG>tE
published sunday morning, aud tie
letter of Minister Th)ms- 4. BayarI
which senator Coke quoted IN that
speech. reduces the thought TO al
cpigram. Mr. Bayarl addressed the
letter which senator Coke read t. a
member Of the New Jersey Legislature
during the discussion ola local option
bill by TINT bod and the words Of the
letter which appear to fit the present
argument nicely, IRE these:
II agree with you in thinking loca'
option laws Of very doubtful constl-
tIlonalty, aud positive cSpcdicDcy.
As understand them they submit -
law to popular vote, IN local distrlct-,
aud tn. defeats the principle of our
government, which is representative
in it, character, aud places the whole
law making power and discretion ~
the gi-laiurc aud not in the people
in their m' rc numerical iurco and pr-
mary capuclty.'
In other words aud having in view
another sort Of local option, j. i'cni
more Cooper expressed the cry same
idea. The great novelist was lie.
scribiug an OCCASION in the western
portion of the state OF New York, in
the earliest period of that -tato's hi
tory, when the citizens Of several de.
nominations had buildcd house ~
worship, aud upon convention as.
sembltng to decide ~ o the den6mi-
nation which should colirol tie
hou-c, although of tho contributing
citizens. there wero 6aptist-, Episco-
paian-, Congrcgatlonalists, Method
i-ts. Uniycrsaist7 and Presby
tcriaus, tho CARBOHYDRATES
outyotcd the Others and conf olad al,
the various Christians TO subscribe to
their methods of religion. Having
described this instance OF majority
RUE, the novelist intorpolatcd in his
story the following sensible COM
mcnt:
II am sorry to say that very mistaken
notions OF the power of maiori.iG,
are beginning to take root among Us.
n j. common 10 hear it asserted IA u
political axiom, that the majority
must RUE, The axiom may be limos
cent enough, when It's Application j..
properly made, which is simply to
say that in the control of those inter
oets of which the decision is referred
- majoritics, majoriticS must rulc ;
but God forbid that the mpjUrtirs
should always rule in all thug, in
this republic or anywhere else such
astato Of things would soon become
intolerable, rendering the govern
mont that admitted of It's cXi tonce
tho most odious tyranny that has been
known in Chrstcudom In modern
times. The government OF this coun
Try Is tho sway OF certain great aud
incoutcstsblc principles TINT are Just
in Themselves; and which are set
forth in tho several constitutions, aud
under which certain minor Que, tons
are periodically referred TO local ma
lOritics, or ot necessity, out OF tho
frequency of which appeals has arisen
II mistake that is getting TO be dam
gerou-ly general God forbid, | re-
peat, that u mere personal majority
should assume the power winch alono
belongs to principles"
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THE Day has undertaken u trcmcn.
dOus lob when it dishes out oil for the